Antonio Banderas still waiting on script for The 33

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas is still waiting to receive the final script for his new film about the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, weeks before production is set to begin in South America. The Desperado star is set to join Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro in The 33, which will document the 69 days 33 Chilean miners spent trapped underground after a shaft collapsed in 2010.
Director Patricia Riggen is expected to start shooting on location in late November (13), but Banderas suggests there may be a slight delay.
He tells Spanish news agency EFE, “Everything (for the project) started quite a while ago, more than a year-and-a-half, but so far, right now, despite having a commitment with the producers of the film, I still have not received the final script.”
However, the actor can understand why screenwriters are taking their time to finish the script.
He says, “They’re continuing to work on it, cleaning it up, having conversations with those people who experienced this event… Whenever you play a person who existed, along with the acting work, there’s a sense of responsibility, because it’s a living character.”
Riggen is also still searching for a replacement to step in for Jennifer Lopez, who was reportedly forced to pull out of the drama in September (13) due to scheduling clashes with her upcoming return as a judge on reality show American Idol.
The 33 is currently scheduled for release next year (14).